Serious Risks for Patients Accompany da Vinci Robot Surgery

Da Vinci robot lawsuits grow as reports of robotic surgery complications continue to come in.

The growing number of medical procedures that are performed with the help of surgical robots should mean reduced risks for complications because of the benefits of these machines, but a number of factors have instead increased the risk for complications such as burns and organ damage from surgeries performed by the da Vinci Surgical System.

In general, the da Vinci robot allows a surgeon to move around arms and attachments during procedures that reduce the possibility of slipping hands or tremors leading to nicking an organ or an artery. The surgical robot should result in improved success rates following surgery, but the Journal of the American Medical Association and other publications have raised serious concerns.

On behalf of doctors, it is noted that there is no certification process for using a da Vinci robot, meaning that surgeons can take as much or as little time as they want before operating on patients. The potential for robotic surgery complications including cauterization is also increased because while doctors normally try to maintain a rate of a given procedure per year to maintain their expertise, that occurs much less often for those who are performing da Vinci surgeries.

The benefits of robot assisted surgery are also much less clear. A recent JAMA study found that when used for hysterectomies and other procedures, the recovery time was roughly the same compared to alternatives that are much less expensive and similarly invasive. Unlike a scalpel, however, the da Vinci robot has more opportunities for problems, according to some experts.

According to analyses of the FDA’s Manufacturer and User Facility Experience (MAUDE), several hundred adverse events are reported each year from da Vinci surgery patients. Electrical arcs can occur if the device malfunctions, leading to organ damage from burns and cauterization. Sometimes revision procedures are required to repair any damage. More often, a small, unexpected cut or incision can lead to significant hemorrhaging and, due to the cameras, can be difficult to find during the procedure. This has proved fatal in some cases, according to multiple da Vinci robot lawsuits.

The statistics likely under-report the risks because a surgeon who is already worried about a patient must take the time to fill out a MAUDE report. If you or someone you know were injured during a da Vinci surgery procedure, you may be able to pursue damages from the manufacturer.

Learn more by visiting the Da Vinci Robot Surgery Class Action Lawsuit Investigation today. While there, submit your information for a free case eligibility review. You may qualify to join a class action lawsuit or file an individual da Vinci surgery lawsuit at no out-of-pocket cost to you.